Flip up lights
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Flip up lights
Hey everyone! New to the forum and to LSx engines. I am a car guy and what-not but just came from the "other" (cough, cough, Ford, cough cough) lol side of the house and haven't regretted switching over since.
Anyways, here's my question. I just put in an aftermarket set of HIDs in my 98 vette. There are the whole kit, ballast(sp?), bulbs, wiring harness, etc. They plug inline with the low beam wiring harness for the bulb. When I turn on my lights everything comes up and on... BUT...when I turn them off they won't go back down. I have to switch it to running lights then off again and they will only close half way. Please help!! I've run out of ideas and starting to get ticked! Thanks.
Anyways, here's my question. I just put in an aftermarket set of HIDs in my 98 vette. There are the whole kit, ballast(sp?), bulbs, wiring harness, etc. They plug inline with the low beam wiring harness for the bulb. When I turn on my lights everything comes up and on... BUT...when I turn them off they won't go back down. I have to switch it to running lights then off again and they will only close half way. Please help!! I've run out of ideas and starting to get ticked! Thanks.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Your headlight motors operate off of a headlight control module. The module senses current from the headlights and causes them to raise or lower I have never installed HIDS but I know that, unless you add a wire wound high wattage resistor in series with the ballast, it will cause this to happen. There are a few post on this issue and it probably best to find one to explain where to wire in the resistor and what size and wattage.
BC
BC
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Thanks everyone for the tips. I'm putting some black out covers on the running lights in a couple of minutes so I'll make sure that nothing is obstructing the closing of the headlights while I'm in there.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,383
Likes: 6
From: hagerstown md
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Several folks have had the same problem with their HIDs. Mine have the opposite problem. Sometimes they don't pop up when they should. It is all in how you have the plug from the stock unit to the ballast. If it were switched around you would have the opposite problem you are having now.
It all stems from the control module looking for a certain amount of current/wattage, and the HIDs just don't pull that much during operation.
You can either flip the connection around in your ballast and turn your lights to bright then turn them on, or leave them the way they are and just flip the stalk to brights before you turn them off.
There hasn't been a definative fix that I have been able to find for the problem. Although Bill Curlee posted above about a resistor, and he definately knows his stuff about electrics, believe me. I have heard of this, but don't have a clue what it is, or how it's done.
Not that it's a big deal to me with having to go bright them dim to get them up and running. Just a minor inconvenience, and one I can live with for the added safety of the HIDs.
Hope this clears things up for ya.
It all stems from the control module looking for a certain amount of current/wattage, and the HIDs just don't pull that much during operation.
You can either flip the connection around in your ballast and turn your lights to bright then turn them on, or leave them the way they are and just flip the stalk to brights before you turn them off.
There hasn't been a definative fix that I have been able to find for the problem. Although Bill Curlee posted above about a resistor, and he definately knows his stuff about electrics, believe me. I have heard of this, but don't have a clue what it is, or how it's done.
Not that it's a big deal to me with having to go bright them dim to get them up and running. Just a minor inconvenience, and one I can live with for the added safety of the HIDs.
Hope this clears things up for ya.
Last edited by sneakelman; Nov 26, 2007 at 03:09 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 30,770
Likes: 41
From: Down the Shore New Jersey, Elev.3 feet
St. Jude Donor '17
After my son installed the HID'S in my vette I had the same thing,
if I turned the end all the way the lights would go off but not down. I found that if I just click it one click the lights go off then another and they go down. Not really that much of a problem to me. I love the HID'S I see things now that I just do not see in my other cars without them! Well worth the extra second it takes to close them to me.
if I turned the end all the way the lights would go off but not down. I found that if I just click it one click the lights go off then another and they go down. Not really that much of a problem to me. I love the HID'S I see things now that I just do not see in my other cars without them! Well worth the extra second it takes to close them to me.
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Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2007
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One issue is the twilight feature is a pain then. Need to close doors manually. Still looking for a definitive fix. Need an electronics genius. We can name the mod after him or her. Someone has a chance for fame here!
